


Day 191

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [191]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:21:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25186294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [191]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 191

Jenny, of Red Jenny fame, almost never came to the Alienage in person. She preferred to base herself in the back room of the Hanged Man and let her ‘friends’ come to her. So Noll was surprised when she arrived on their doorstep. Wendy invited her in and set about preparing tea and potatoes for them all. Jenny had worn her most bland outfit. A simple dress of brown linen without adornments. The kind of person the most would never look twice at. The only hint to her true identity was a small red ribbon that she used to tie her hair up.

“The friends, once again, are in need of your help,” she said. “One of our friends has warned me that an ativan assassin has arrived in town, asking about Red Jenny. He had been seen hanging around a moneylender here in lowtown.”

“Someone out for revenge?” Noll asked.

“Maybe,” Jenny said. “Though none of our friends have a bad word to say about this money lender. They seem to be trying to help people.”

“I have never met a money lender who wanted to help people,” Noll said. “Quite the opposite.”

“It might be a front,” Jenny said. “The assassin has been calling him Red J. I worry he might be trying to replace me. Perhaps they are being backed by a noble with an agenda. I need you to visit his house and see what you can learn.”

Noll agreed, there were too many unknowns about this Red J. What was his beef with Jenny? Why take her name? If he was trying to replace Jenny, it could not be for a good reason. Maybe he thought he could make a profit selling favors for their ‘friends.’

They waited until dark and went for a walk through Lowtown until they reached the moneylender. Red J. lived over his shop which made their search easier. Noll thought about scaling the wall to the window, but if Red J. lived up there, the downstairs was probably less populated.

They listened at the door for a moment, when they didn’t hear anything, they picked the lock and slipped inside. Unfortunately there was a dwarf guard just inside, as surprised to see Noll and Noll was to see them. The dwarf opened their mouth to shout but Noll shoved a hand in their mouth to stifle them. A kick to the groin stunned them long enough for Noll to get them in a chokehold. They held the guard until they lost consciousness, then they tied and gagged the guard. Until Noll knew more about what was happening they didn’t want to kill anyone they didn’t need to.

Noll had barely taken three steps towards the stairs when they heard the front door opening behind them. They turned just in time to see another elf sneaking in. Noll didn’t have time to hide and the other elf didn’t bother trying to talk. They just launched a barrage of throwing knives.

Noll dove for cover, but not fast enough to avoid all the knives. Their armor prevented the blades from causing too much damage, but from the way they burned Noll suspected they might have been poisoned.

Noll drew their dueling daggers and sprang from cover to engage the elf. From the first engagement Noll could tell that this elf had top noch training. He was good,at least as good as Noll, and with the poison slowing them down, Noll didn’t know if they could win this fight. They regretted not bringing Merrill along. She wasn’t the most stealthy but no one could match her in a fight.

Noll knew they had to end this quickly and then find an antidote for the poison. When the fighters broke off for a moment they pulled a pitch grenade and tossed it at the other elf. When he leapt to avoid it, Noll tossed a combustion grenade. Their opponent landed on the grenade just as it exploded. The pitch caught fire and the shock-wave sent Noll flying into a wall. When they had recovered, there was a blood trail leading back out the front door and the assailant was gone. Noll had no other way out then the door and followed. Outside, the blood trail went left so Noll went right. The most reliable place to go for an antidote was Tomwise’s place in Darktown.

Whoever this Red J. was, they had the funds to hire professionals for protection. Clearly they were more than a simple moneylender and Noll was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.


End file.
